


Bad Dream

by thefalloutalleyouthzone



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Horror, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blood and Gore, Halloween, Hannibal (TV) References, M/M, Minor Character Death, Supernatural Elements, Twilight References, birthday fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:14:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26360983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefalloutalleyouthzone/pseuds/thefalloutalleyouthzone
Summary: "Trust me; it’s going to be fine. Just your typical party at a gothic mansion on Halloween night. What could go wrong?"Absolutely everything."Besides, you look great in that suit." Zoro winked.Sanji sighed, turning back to face the mirror. "Can't believe you're making us go as murder husbands."
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 2
Kudos: 72





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [misterprince](https://archiveofourown.org/users/misterprince/gifts).



> title inspiration: bad dreams by ruelle

“I don't have a good feeling about this, Zoro." Sanji stood in front of their hallway mirror, adjusting his tie and pocket-handkerchief. 

"When do you ever have a good feeling about something?" Zoro’s reflection asked and rolled his eyes at him.

"Exactly, so maybe we should stay in, and I don't know…" Sanji turned to face his husband and smiled innocently, "enjoy the evening to ourselves." 

"You're such a pervert, cook," Zoro smirked. He pulled out a pair of fake glasses and teasingly rested them on his nose. Sanji couldn't help but let out a whimper. His husband looked incredible; he definitely needed to introduce glasses into the bedroom. Zoro noticed Sanji's reaction and smirked even wider. "If only people knew how much..."

Sanji leaned in to kiss his husband, yet Zoro knew what he was doing and pulled back. "Trust me; it’s going to be fine. Just your typical party at a gothic mansion on Halloween night. What could go wrong?"

_Absolutely everything._

"Besides, you look great in that suit." Zoro winked.

Sanji sighed, turning back to face the mirror. "Can't believe you're making us go as murder husbands."

"You have to admit the roles suit us well…" A huge grin spread across Zoro's face, "Anyway, you sure you aren't a cannibal from the way you ate me o-"

"I swear to god if you tell anyone what happened last night at the party I'm kissing your ass goodbye." 

"Only kissing?" Zoro winked.

They heard a beep as Nami's car pulled into the driveway- their ride for the evening. Sanji braced himself and tried to ignore the anxiety that was building more and more inside his stomach. He felt incredibly nauseous, anticipating the worst from their evening, whether it be Luffy starting a fight again or something else...

He wasn't doing an excellent job at masking his worry as Zoro gave him a reassuring kiss before heading out, "Don't worry cook, I'll protect you."

Sanji had to smile at what those words did to him still. "You're right. I have nothing to worry about. It’s just a party." Sanji grabbed a set of keys and Zoro's hand before opening the door. "We can't keep Nami-swan waiting any longer either."

Zoro rolled his eyes once more but followed his husband's lead.

*****

The party was already in full swing when they arrived at Mihawk’s mansion. Luffy had continuously begged Mihawk for the past few months to use his home for his annual Halloween party. Everyone was astounded the first time he asked, even Zoro warned him that Mihawk would disagree. Still, anyone who knew Luffy would know he always got his way eventually, whatever the cost. He badgered the poor man relentlessly, asking the same question again and again until he finally caved so Luffy would leave him alone.

It had paid off. Mihawk’s place had always given Sanji the creeps, despite him being his father-in-law, but Luffy had left no corner unturned with his spooky, absolutely terrifying decor. There were fake cobwebs, spiders, and bats hanging from the ceiling that looked terrifyingly realistic, as well as giant pumpkins carved with ridiculous faces. Black lanterns were lit all around the mansion, and a large coffin placed in the grand hall as the centrepiece. He had a feeling Luffy had some help from Usopp and Franky to get the spooky atmosphere perfect. 

Everyone’s costumes looked amazing too, which made it even more horrifying. There were your usual demons, ghouls, vampires, zombies, but the make-up was phenomenal. Nami and Vivi had both come as The Corpse Bride, dazzling and yet terrifying at the same time- even Zoro acted freaked out when they got in their car. Usopp and Chopper came as Shaggy and Scooby-Doo which felt very natural to them. Sanji hoped they would protect him when the monsters attacked.

As if.

Franky and Robin had put a modern, yet spooky spin on Beauty and the Beast with their costumes, and Brook had the perfect slender body to pull off Jack Skellington- even Chopper looked cautious about being around him with how realistic the outfit looked.

Law greeted Sanji and Zoro in what was his standard doctor uniform which surprised the two of them. Law shrugged his shoulders with indifference, stating Luffy had made him do it and refused to explain as it would make sense when they got a glimpse of his boyfriend. They couldn't see the goofball anywhere so gave their friend an apologetic look. Ace and Marco were late, which didn’t surprise anyone, yet Sanji was intrigued to see which costumes they had chosen this year. Last year they had come as Bonnie and Clyde, and Richard and Eddie the year before that. 

Zoro and Sanji perused through the party, mingling here and there. A few people approached them, some unaware of who they were but most complimented their idea. Zoro would then give Sanji a smug look for coming up with it. He didn't want to inflate his husband's ego anymore, so Sanji didn't let him know he was also incredibly impressed.

The feeling inside Sanji’s stomach wouldn't shift though. They had been at the party for almost half an hour, and Sanji had to keep stepping back- whether it was to smoke cigarettes outside or wander off to the kitchen to see if they needed help, to be then pushed away by his staff. Sanji had offered his services tonight, but Luffy and the rest of the gang insisted prior that he took the night off for once in his life. He had been hurt at first since Luffy had always wanted to eat his food, but his husband seemed excited to spend the evening together more than usual. He loved cooking whatever the occasion but seeing how excited Zoro was at the possibility, he decided to agree, yet made sure to request his restaurant would still cater to the party. Sanji always wanted the guests to have the best food he could offer. He wasn’t sure if that was the reason he felt on edge though or there was something else bothering him. He sighed to himself and strolled back into the grand hall where he bumped into a green blur.

“Sanji!” Luffy smiled widely. 

“Oh there you are- ah, now Law’s costume makes sense.” Luffy was wearing distressed black shorts and a black jacket over a grey shirt. His whole body was painted green, and he had fake screws attached to his neck as well as extra scars to add to the effect. He still wore his iconic flip-flops and beloved straw hat, but it wasn't sitting on his head.

“You saw Taro? He hates it, but I wanted to be Frankenstein” Luffy chuckled.

“Luffy you’re not Franke-”

“Oi Luffy!" Zoro made his way over with two drinks in his hands, "Oh, wow, you’re Frankenstein.”

“He’s not Frankenstein!”

“What do you mean, cook?" Zoro gave a drink to his husband, "It’s so obvious.”

“Law kept saying that too…” Luffy frowned, “But I am Frankenstein!”

“Law is Frankenstein. Luffy is Frankenstein’s monster.” Sanji said.

Luffy and Zoro looked at him blankly. 

“The doctor is called Victor Frankenstein, and the book is about him, not the monster." He further explained. 

“What’s the monster called then?” Luffy asked. 

“Adam.”

“You’re hilarious, cook.” Zoro laughed sarcastically, then took a sip of his drink. 

“That’s his name mosshead, look it up!”

“Okay, nerd, ruin it for everyone. Jeez.”

“You asked!” Sanji said through gritted teeth.

“But I prefer the name 'Frankenstein'.”

“That’s not how it works, Luffy.” Sanji was frustrated they weren't taking what he said earnestly. So many people have misinformed themselves on the topic.

“Whatever, I’ll just forget what you just said." Luffy shrugged his shoulders, “Anyway, can’t wait for the night to kick off.”

Sanji wanted to ask what he had meant but Luffy was already walking away in search of food. He huffed at Luffy’s logic and downed his drink. 

His husband noticed. "What's got your panties in a twist?"

"It's nothing. I'm fine."

"You don't see-

"ZORO! SANJI!"

They both turned to see Ace and Marco coming towards them in what looked like Baseball outfits covered in patches of blood.

Zoro made a snide comment. “Punctual as ever.” 

“Hey!” Ace jested, “Do you know how long it takes for my boyfriend and I to look _this_ good that we can’t help but undress in the process? If you know what I mean..” Ace winked.

“We know.” Zoro and Sanji both said disapprovingly, with Marco chiming in too.

“Who are you meant to be anyway?” Sanji asked.

“Come on! Baseball? What iconic movie has that?”

Zoro and Sanji both shrugged their shoulders.

“Twilight!” Ace said, smiling proudly. He flashed his mouth, showing off his incredibly realistic fangs.

A sound of realisation came out of Zoro and Sanji’s mouths as they looked the couple up and down again. “So you’re Bella and Edward this year…”

“No, Sanj.” Ace scoffed, “I’m definitely an Emmett, so that makes Marco, Rosalie.”

“In your wildest dreams, monkey boy. More like _you’re_ Rosalie.” Marco playfully hit Ace’s cap off with his baseball cap. He scolded Marco before leaning down and picking his cape off the floor.

“Anyways, who are _you_ supposed to be?!” Ace asked begrudgingly.

“Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter.” Zoro pointed to show who was who.

“Huh…” Ace nodded, “that’s a brave choice for you, Sanj.” 

“I mean we dress similar so I wouldn’t say that…”

“No, I mean about being a cannibal.” Sanji frowned at the tone he used along with the straight face as he said it. He was about to ask why when Usopp and Chopper came running over to greet the late guests. They broke into a conversation about their costumes and caught up with their lives, leaving Sanji standing there to mull over what his friend had meant. 

He shook his head, displacing the sentence from his brain and decided to stake out food to take his mind off of things. The chefs had almost finished when he walked into the kitchen and saw there was now a queue at the buffet table. Luffy must have gotten their first as usual. He asked his husband if he wanted anything but Zoro didn't seem too fussed to eat anything yet. Strange. He joined the queue, greeting the guests in front of him, and when it was finally his turn, he picked up a couple of beef burgers he had smelt sizzling away earlier. 

Sanji spotted Nami and Vivi sitting down and eating at one of the tables provided so decided to join them.

"Sanji! Having fun?" Vivi cooed.

"Absolutely, my angel, now that I'm sitting with you." Sanji sweetly smiled back. 

"Stop flirting with my wife," Nami said calmly, but he knew a threat when he heard one.

"I wouldn’t dream of upsetting you Nami-swan," Sanji asked the both of them before biting into his burger.

What happened next had never occurred to Sanji before in his life.

The burger was cooked to perfection, melting onto Sanji's tongue as it fell apart in his mouth exactly how he taught his staff to cook it, yet there was something odd about it. The taste was bland, unsatisfactory. He frowned, sniffing the burger as he took another bite. He could smell the excellent seasoning they used, but when the burger entered his mouth, it tasted wrong. Like something was missing.

"Everything okay, Sanji?" Vivi asked with a concerned look on her face.

"Yes, of course, my sweet. Just all over the place today." Sanji said as he put on a fake smile. "How's your food?" 

"Amazing, thank you. I didn't expect anything less from your restaurant though, Sanji!"

"Good to hear." Sanji smiled

"Is something the matter with it?" Nami curiously asked. She was able to tell when anyone was trying to bluff. 

"No, no," he tried to reassure her, "I'm probably not as hungry as I thought, though." Nami didn't press him for more, but he wasn't sure if she believed him. 

Not one to waste food, Sanji finished his two burgers, trying to hide his reactions with each bite he took. He didn't know what was with him that evening, but he secretly hoped it was something out of a bad dream.

Sanji excused himself, informing the girls he was going to find his stray marimo. Dread slowly crept in as he tried searching through the crowd for him but couldn't find Zoro anywhere. He wanted to reassure himself that he was probably lost somewhere in the mansion, despite spending most of his life growing up there. The night was already slightly weird; he didn’t want it to become a pattern. He rolled his eyes and climbed up the grand staircase, cursing to himself for marrying someone he always had to chase. 

He started on the first floor, opening each door along the narrow corridor and quickly peeking through each one. The music began to slowly fade out as he went further along, soon becoming background noise. He never understood why Mihawk needed so much space with only Zoro and Perona living with him; however, Sanji soon realised that it would be easy to escape for some peace and never be found by the pair of them.

He moved onto the second floor, starting to doubt if the marimo had even gone upstairs. He knew his old bedroom was on that floor though so he prayed he had miraculously managed to find that. 

He was about to open the third door when he heard a scream.

It came from the far end of the corridor. 

He quickly ran down to the door he thought it came from and barged in.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


A man was hovering over a woman's neck.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


It was Ace.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


And he was biting it.

  
  
  
  
  


"What. The. Fuck."

Ace broke away from the woman instantly, turning to see who the intruder was. He looked taken back, the colour drained from his face, yet the fangs in his mouth were dripping with blood.

The woman looked even worse, but Sanji couldn't tell if that was the zombie make-up she was wearing. She quickly ran out of the room, brushing past Sanji as he caught a glimpse of her neck. He turned to face his friend in utter shock.

"Oh my god tell me I didn’t just see that."

"Honestly, it’s not what it looks like." Ace started to explain. 

"What do you mean it’s not what it looks like?!" Sanji shouted. "You were biting her fucking neck!"

"Yeah, but it isn’t anything sexual." Ace argued sheepishly. 

Sanji sarcastically laughed at that. "Oh, that’s very reassuring. You were biting her neck, but you aren’t a cheater."

"I mean I didn’t want you to assume…" Ace trailed off. 

"Jesus Christ." Sanji started to pace, trying to wrap his head around everything. 

"Hey, it’s okay, it’s not a big deal." Ace said breezily.

"Yes, it fucking is, Ace!" 

"It’s okay. She’s going to be fine."

"What are you talking about? You bit her fucking neck, who even does that?!" 

"She’s a zombie. She’ll be fine. They don't need blood really. "

Sanji blinked several times at Ace. Had he gone insane?!

"No, she's a human DRESSED as a zombie, and last time I checked, you're not a fucking vampire!"

Ace chuckled, causing Sanji to frown. His nostrils flared as his supposed-friend found his breakdown rather amusing. A look of bewilderment fell on Ace's face as he realised Sanji wasn't joining in.

"You don’t know, do you?"

"Know what?" 

Ace walked towards Sanji slowly but he backed away, wanting to keep his distance, "Why Luffy really wanted the party here…"

"Because this place is gothic and creepy as fuck?"

Ace shook his head. "There’s a curse here.”

Sanji didn't have the time for this. He wanted the truth. "Ace, stop messing around." 

"I’m serious!"

"Curses don’t exist."

Ace crept closer, causing Sanji's back hit a wall. He could easily take Ace on if he had to, but he didn't want any of it to be happening. He didn’t even know what _was_ happening.

"There's a curse on this place that on the night of Halloween, you become what you are.”

"Don't be ridiculous." Sanji spat. Ace was so close to him that he could see his teeth. He squinted, trying to find the fakeness in those fangs. 

"There is!" Ace exclaimed, "I wouldn't normally bite some total stranger, would I?" 

"When you put it like that…" Ace gave him a frown. "So what? You are expecting me to believe you have become a vampire because of how you are dressed and wanted to test it out? And the beautiful lady willingly agreed?!"

"Yes." 

"I don't buy it." Sanji went to shove away, but his friend held him down, with more strength than he usually had.

"Then tell me Sanj…" Ace whispered into his ear, "have you tried the food yet?" 

Sanji's eyes went wide with horror. Wanting to get out, he kicked Ace across the room harder than he intended, sending his body flying against the brick wall. He was already picking himself back up as Sanji sprinted down the corridor. He continued all the way, down the stairs to the grand hall and only stopped when he bumped into something. 

He looked up to see hollow eye sockets staring back at him.

It was Brook. Or what was left of him. 

His frame leant over Sanji as it usually would, but the make-up was gone, and he was entirely made out of bones. Sanji wanted to convince himself that it was an illusion, but his brain was already freaking out too much. There was no logical reason behind this.

"Sorry Sanji, did I scare you?" Brook asked in a spooky manner, playing into his role a little too well.

Sanji said nothing, shaking his head then excused himself to find Zoro. He ran through the crowd, noticing more and more people were becoming less human as time went by. He looked over at where Nami and Vivi had been sitting to see two _real_ corpse brides sitting there. His heartbeat sped up at the image, wanting to hurry up and find the mosshead. The music felt louder than before as everyone continued to dance, unaware at what was happening to them. He eventually managed to spot green hair in the distance and squeezed past everyone to get to his husband. 

Zoro looked as if he was searching for something too, hopefully, him. He still looked as he did when they left their house, so that was something, although, he wasn't sure how the curse was going to affect him.

Zoro spotted Sanji weaving through the crowd towards him. "Oh hey I've been looking for you, where did yo-"

Sanji grabbed his husband's arm and pulled him towards a cupboard at the back of the room. Zoro badgered him about where they were going but then saw their destination and immediately relaxed, letting himself be pulled by Sanji.

Sanji switched a light on before pushing Zoro inside and shut the door; the music muffled in response. 

"You are such a pervert, cook, and now you want to risk ourselves getting caught in here," Zoro smirked eagerly, trying to kiss his husband but Sanji pushed him away.

"Stop, Zoro! I haven't brought you in here for that."

Zoro noticed the strain on his husband's voice and frowned. "What's wrong?"

"We need to get out of here," Sanji said urgently.

"What?"

"We need to get out of here right now."

"What are you talking about, curly? Ace and Marco only just arrived." 

Sanji was about to tell Zoro what he had seen when a realisation struck him.

What if his husband knew about this all along?

He had lived here for most of his life, how could he not know?

Zoro was the one who suggested Sanji should go as a cannibal for a laugh. What was that laugh meant to entail?

"Did you know about this, marimo?" Sanji whispered.

"What? You're not making any sense." Zoro stepped forward, but Sanji brought his foot up against his chest. 

"Did you know about the curse?" Sanji asked slowly. He didn't know who to trust anymore.

"Curse what curse?" Zoro acted confused.

"The curse on this place!"

"Oh!" Zoro nodded his head, "Mihawk told Luffy that to scare him off, but it didn't work obviously."

Sanji squinted at him for any possible cues to suggest he was lying, saying nothing.

"What do you think it's real?" Zoro laughed, "Come on, cook."

“Is that why you made me come as a cannibal?” Sanji asked, “To see what would happen?”

Zoro looked offended, “No- what are you talking about?”

“The curse is real, marimo! I just saw Ace bite a fucking zombie and Brook, Nami, and Vivi are all made of skeletons.” Sanji dropped his foot and pulled Zoro to the cupboard door, opening it up for him. Brook was the tallest person they knew, so it was easy to point him out. He was at the far end of the hall, spooking a few people and laughing at their terrified reactions. Nami and Vivi were still sitting down, though he was able to point them out as well.

Sanji closed the door and turned to a white-faced Zoro. “Oh, shit.”

“Was the cannibal really your idea, marimo? Or did someone tell you?” Sanji asked again.

“No, it was mine!”

“Did you want to see what I would do?” Sanji snarled at his husband, anger boiling inside of him, “Did you want me to go against myself?

“Cook, I’m serious, I didn't know about the curse!” Zoro pressed back, raising his voice, “Jesus Christ, I wouldn't betray you like that!”

“Will would though. Will betrayed Hannibal.” Sanji pointed out. 

“I'm not fucking Will, and you're not fucking Hannibal!” Zoro shouted angrily.

“Then why the fuck do I want to eat you right now?”

A disturbed expression covered Zoro’s face as Sanji realised what he’d just said. He covered his mouth in shock, panicking at the thought of eating the love of his life. 

Zoro grabbed him by the shoulders and pressed their foreheads together. “Don’t think you can easily defeat me, shitty cook, I wouldn’t let you do that to anyone without taking you down first.”

Sanji’s mouth twitched into a smile. Of course, he wouldn’t. He would do anything to protect him, even if it’s from himself.

He was about to thank his husband when they heard a gigantic roar followed by screams.

"Sounded like some sort of beast."

They both looked at one another in realisation, "Franky."

Zoro opened the door for both of them to peer out. They spotted Franky immediately. He had completely transformed. Guests were running in all sorts of directions, and neither could see Robin anywhere. They both pulled back, mortified at what the chaos meant.

"We need to get out of here, marimo. No one is going to have full control over themselves, especially when some don't even know what's about to happen to them." Sanji said hurriedly, "I'm not even sure if Ace is fully aware of the fact he will easily lose control." 

"What's our plan then?" Zoro looked at him.

Sanji shook his head, unsure of what to do. 

He then heard a muffled scream and a dog whimpering, not far from their position. He cracked the door open again and his eyes immediately landed on the two guests making those noises.

"Maybe go and save those two idiots." Sanji pointed at them and Zoro sighed.

"They haven't changed then. I'll go, you stay here."

Zoro left before Sanji could argue, making a b-line towards the undeniable Usopp and Chopper.

He watched as his husband swerved through the crowd, blocking everything that came into his path. It was mesmerising. The two scaredy cats looked appreciative of Zoro coming to rescue them, probably more due to the fact he hadn't turned into a terrifying creature. He pointed back to the closet, informing them where to run to next. 

"Boy, like am I glad to see you," Usopp looked frustrated at himself for speaking a certain way but hugged the man. Chopper barked in agreement. Sanji tried not to pity their youngest friend, but he also couldn't imagine what that must feel like.

"Same goes for you, Shaggy." Sanji mocked. 

"If we had known this was going to happen, we would have chosen a better costume." Usopp countered.

"Feelings mutual." 

Usopp jumped at the realisation of what Sanji was supposed to be. He scrambled for the door just as Zoro came in.

"It's fine, Usopp, he isn't gonna eat you," Zoro said.

"You don't know that. Everyone is like completely losing control." Chopper jumped in between Usopp's legs in agreement.

Sanji sighed- His stomach agreed with him.

"Look, I won't move from this spot okay?" Sanji drew an imaginary circle around where he was standing and made a point of staying in it. Both seemed to relax a little at this. 

"So how do we get out of here?"

"We're not sure yet." Zoro shrugged. "Making it up as we go along." 

"Oh great, so we're stuck here."

"Would you rather be out there?" Sanji quibbled.

Another round of screams came from the grand hall, proving his point.

"Then how do we escape? Come on, you guys need to come up with something!” Usopp wasn’t showing much courtesy. He was becoming rather rude.

“We’re working on it, okay? Why don’t you think of something?”

“You guys became smart, villainous characters. It should be obvious to you.”

"Woah, don't pin it all on us."

"Zoro, you could haven't warned us, man."

"I had no idea this would happen!" Zoro retorted.

"But like, this is your family home!"

Before he even realised it, Sanji pushed Usopp against the wall, teeth snarling at him. A whimpering sound came out of his throat, followed by a cry for help. “You could show us a little more respect, without us you could have been dead.” 

Sanji was shoved off of Usopp and collided with the wall. Zoro stood over him. He picked his husband up by grabbing his shirt collar, and it became Sanji’s turn to be pushed against the wall.

“Leave. Him. Alone.” Zoro said: his voice filled with venom.

Sanji struggled against his husband’s grip, “He was being rude.” 

“I know, but he’s your friend, remember?” Zoro looked Sanji in the eye which made him feel slightly better and more in control of his body. He nodded, taking a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down.

The sound of a door shutting made them snap out of their moment- their friends had left them. Zoro went to follow them but Sanji held him back. 

“Leave them. They’ve made their choice. Besides… they normally end up as bait.”

Zoro quickly realised the possibilities they had, maybe thanks to becoming Will, "So we can lure in and capture the others."

Sanji nodded. 

For the next ten minutes or so, Zoro and Sanji devised a plan on how they would go about saving their friends. They had to act promptly as they were unsure about whether the consequences of the curse would stick around after the night was over. They planned to lock their friends in separate rooms, going with the easiest to catch first (Luffy, Usopp, Chopper) to the hardest (everybody else). They couldn't trust anyone that wasn't them and had to fight against Sanji's cannibal instincts kicking in as well.

It was going to be a long night. 

They removed their blazers and rolled up their shirt sleeves, Zoro took his fake glasses off while Sanji took his waistcoat off.

"You ready?" Zoro asked his husband. 

"As I'll ever be, marimo."

"I love you," Zoro whispered.

"Don't get soft on me now, idiot. We'll get through this." Sanji said angrily, but his voice shook a little. He kissed his husband hard on the lips. "I love you too."

They opened the door and walked into hell itself.

Bodies were already sprawled across the hall, some breathing some not, blood running like a river on the wooden floor. Sanji ran to a woman's side, checking her pulse and shaking his head at no sign of one, his heart jerking at her innocence. They looked for a sign of how she died, but couldn't find anything conclusive. There was a lot of blood everywhere that was certain. Sanji had already got some covered on his sleeve from simply moving her body. 

The rest of the guests seemed to have escaped to other parts of the mansion as distant screams could be heard. Zoro walked over to one of Mihawk's many decorative swords on display and grabbed three. They weren't the best but Zoro could work with any broken, rusty sword and still call the match. Sanji wasn't fully sure how Will would fare in a fight, however. He hoped he also wouldn't become useless in the fighting areas. They moved through the grand hall to inspect the first room.

As expected, Luffy and Law were together; in the kitchen. The host was stuffing himself with the food left on the counter and it seemed like he had even raided the fridge as well. Sanji's staff seemed to have managed to escape which was one less worry for him. 

Zoro walked in first, swords in a defensive position.

"Woah, I'm still me!" Law shouted.

"You sure?" Sanji asked.

"Could ask the same to you, cannibal."

Sanji saw red for a second, but Zoro interrupted him before he could do anything. 

"Oi! We are still ourselves too. How is Luffy doing?"

"He's like a newborn baby- he thinks he has just been created."

"Shit, he's no help then." 

Luffy turned around, painfully slow, eyes alarmed at the sight of new people. 

Sanji felt rage boiling inside of him. Zoro had to use all of his body strength to keep him away from their friend: “I could kill you for putting all these people in danger!”

Luffy looked at him blankly, unable to register what was going on.

“It’s no use, he doesn’t understand anything.” Law sighed. 

Sanji didn’t care. Luffy had been so reckless, so careless in playing with the lives of their friends. Part of him knew Luffy hadn’t thought it fully through- he wouldn’t have signed up to this if he knew the consequences. But he should have. He should have seen the destruction this was going to cause. Ace and MIhawk too. 

“Did you know about this?” Zoro turned to Law.

“Luffy told me about some curse but I didn’t believe it. Did you know? How many times have you had Halloween here?”

Zoro looked a bit abashed at that question, “I always went out to get shitfaced on Halloween and Mihawk isn’t a sociable person, he didn’t host parties.”

“Well, now we know why.”

A scream came from outside the kitchen, followed by a loud thud against the wooden door. They all turned, unsure of what to expect to come through. Zoro raised his swords in a defensive position again, while Law grabbed a metal rolling pin. Sanji spotted a silver knife set on the counter. He reached out and grabbed one. It felt foreign in his hand: heavy. As if it knew he wasn’t going to use it for its correct purpose- that Sanji was fighting against himself and what he believed in, in more ways than one. Zoro looked at him from the corner of his eye, but Sanji ignored it, focusing on what was going to come through the door.

“What’s with all the pointy objects, guys? Thought we were friends.” A voice came from behind them. They all turned around again to see Ace leaning against the fridge. His outfit was covered in more blood than before, causing Sanji to stiffen. Ace’s eyes latched onto his as he continued to scrutinise his friend, capturing Sanji in a trance with the magnificent colour they had become.

Red.

Only then did Luffy notice the commotion, turning his head slowly, with a moan coming out of his mouth.

“I said, what’s with the pointy objects.” Ace moved closer, causing the other men to raise their weapons higher. Ace laughed at this. “Come on, guys, have a little fun!”

“What the fuck, Ace?! None of this is fun." Law said.

"Just because you guys chose the wrong outfits."

"People are dying because of this stupid curse! You could take this more seriously." Zoro joined in.

Ace simply shrugged his shoulders and grinned.

“He isn’t Ace anymore,” Sanji whispered to the two of them.

Somehow, Ace had heard him. “Of course I’m Ace, Sanj. Who else could pull off looking this good?”

“You’re still yourself to make dumb jokes then,” Law said, lowering his weapon slightly. 

  
  


That was his first and last mistake.

Within an instant, Ace had thrown Law across the kitchen and his head hit the oven with a loud crack, rupturing his skull.

Zoro and Sanji didn’t have time to react. Ace moved so fast, they were fighting with thin air. Zoro swung his swords around effortlessly yet couldn’t land a single hit. Sanji tried kicking but it was no use- Ace was too fast for them. They stood back to back, protecting each other, but even that wasn’t enough. Sanji felt a force hitting him, sending him flying. His body in agony, he landed close to where Luffy was, still unable to register what was happening around him. 

Sanji painfully scrambled up from the floor to be greeted with the image of Ace capturing his husband in an armlock, teeth exposed to Zoro’s neck. Not only had he managed that, but Zoro’s swords were lying on the ground next to his feet. Ace had made him utterly defenceless. 

Barely thinking it through, Sanji picked up the silver knife he had and threw it in their direction, praying it would land on the right target. 

It did. The knife got lodged into Ace’s arm and he let out a yelp in pain. His grip lessened and Zoro was able to escape and pick his swords back up from the floor. Sanji didn’t waste any time either. A new source of rage and envy fueled his body, making him charge at his so-called friend. Still struggling with the pain of the silver, Sanji ripped the knife out of Ace’s arm and stabbed it into Ace’s thigh, knowing it would hit a deep vein. Ace groaned, his teeth seething. Sanji grabbed another silver knife and did the same to his other leg. 

He picked Ace up by his shirt and looked him dead in the eye, speaking in a possessive tone. “He’s mine.”

Sanji dropped him, letting his friend collapse on the floor.

He stood there breathless, his brain trying to acknowledge what he’d just done.

He felt a hand reach out to him and he weakly grabbed back. Zoro pulled him out of the kitchen, already carrying Luffy over his shoulder. No one said anything as Zoro carried them up the stairs and into an unoccupied room on the first floor. He put the latch over the lock and dumped Luffy onto the bed. 

Silence filled the room as they came to grips with what just happened. 

“I killed him.”

“You didn’t kill him.”

“I left him for dead.” Sanji murmured, “What’s worse, I felt pleasure while doing it.”

“Cook,” Zoro’s voice cut through the darkness, “No one is like themselves tonight.”

“I gave in though, Zoro. I had control then I listened to him."

“You did what you had to do.” 

“No, I did what Hannibal wanted from the start-”

Zoro grabbed his husband by the shoulders and shook him out of his bleak state, “Ace killed Law and could have killed me too! You did what you could to save me. Who cares where that came from.”

Sanji wasn’t sure if he fully believed that. 

“The asshole deserved it,” Zoro continued, “Besides, we should worry about ourselves… Marco wasn't with him.”

Sanji shot up at this. How could he have forgotten? 

“Yeah. If he's anything like Ace, he’ll come after us.”

Sanji looked at his husband helplessly, unable to trust himself, “What do we do now?”

“We finish finding the others.”

Zoro picked up his swords and strapped them across his waist. "Come on, we haven't seen Nami and Vivi yet either. Hopefully, they're still around."

It sounded like Zoro wanted to say 'alive' but changed his mind instead. Sanji wanted to beat himself up for neglecting them, but his heart wasn’t in it, still reeling over what he did to Ace. What Hannibal did.

Zoro was right, no one was like themselves tonight. 

Sanji nodded his head and picked himself back up. He didn't want to become a problem for Zoro anymore than he already had been, so he wasn't going to let that happen.

They agreed to lock Luffy in the room since he didn't provide any harm nor threat- he didn't provide much help either. Sanji wasn't sure if Ace was going to make it, but he hoped for his own sake that he did. He wasn't sure if Luffy would ever speak to him again after this.

He wasn't sure if Luffy was going to speak to him again at all.

"You should call Mihawk to see if he knows much else about this curse," Sanji suggested to his husband, "Whether it reverses its-"

Sanji was cut off by a roar coming from the floor below, followed by a loud bang.

"Franky," Zoro whispered. 

Zoro looked at Sanji- a look that conveyed so many messages all at once. What they were going to do next, how they were going to do it, how he hoped it was going to work and they would both make it out alive. Zoro, or rather Will, knew how to get inside his head. He understood it all.

"We need to find something to hold him then." 

"There should be some rope in the gym. Mihawk uses them for training. I'll fetch them."

Without any other warning, Zoro left the room. 

Sanji waited a few minutes, pondering whether he should have followed and how long it would take to find his husband again, knowing his sense of direction. They shouldn’t have split up in the first place.

He finally decided to follow when Zoro opened the door again, with huge bundles of rope strapped across his chest and even more bundles in his arms. He hooked the bundles of rope in his arms over Sanji’s chest, positioning them accordingly.

"I feel like you're the only one who has benefited from this evening. " Sanji joked.

Zoro gave him a murderous glare as he tightened the rope to stop it from falling off. “You prefer him over me you mean?”

Sanji’s eyes widened in horror, “That’s not-”

Zoro cracked a smile, proving his mischievous charm was still there. Sanji let out a sigh of relief but kicked his husband for good measure.

They checked each other promptly, making sure the rope was securely attached. Sanji’s fingers lingered over Zoro’s chest as they heard another roar followed by a high-pitched scream. He tried to control the anger and hunger rising in the pit of his stomach, eyes hovering over a crease in Zoro’s shirt as he did so.

Zoro noticed him struggling and tilted his chin up to meet his eyes, “Hey.”

"I'm sorry."

Sanji was taken back, "For what?"

"You didn't want to come," Zoro said with a regretful look in his eye. 

Sanji softly smiled at this. Even when their lives were on the line, Zoro was still able to make Sanji fall for him with his compassion. "You weren't to know this would happen though.”

“Still.” Zoro shrugged.

Sanji leaned in and kissed his husband hard as if he were imprinting the memory of how Zoro felt and tasted onto his lips. “You can make it up to me by getting through this together, idiot.”

“Don’t try to eat me before that then.” Zoro received another kick for that.

They both left the room to go on a hunt for a beast.

Finding Franky was a lot easier than they had anticipated thanks to the sheer dumb luck of Usopp and Chopper being alive. Once they had reached the staircase, they had a good view of them still being chased by their friend around the grand hall. The smell of blood was more pungent as more bodies were scattered across the floor, but it was still unclear what had killed them. They could take a wild guess though.

Zoro and Sanji watched Usopp and Chopper run wild, waiting for them to come towards the stairs so they could help. 

“USOPP!”

Usopp snapped out of his panicking and looked up at Sanji leaning over the bannister. He chucked the other end of the rope down to his friend who thankfully understood what he needed to do. 

They spent the next crucial seconds creating a bind to trap Franky into- Usopp and Chopper weaving in and out of each other around Franky's attacks, with Zoro and Sanji waiting for their chance to tighten the rope. Once Usopp gave the go-ahead, they jumped down and pulled as hard as they could, caging the beast. They then wrapped the ropes around the bannister and helped Usopp do the same with a pillar. 

It had worked, Franky was immobile. They had caught the beast.

Zoro checked on Usopp and Chopper while Sanji had other plans. Something he had been meaning to ask since everything started. He walked right up to the beast and shouted: “Where’s Robin?” 

Franky roared in response to the question, with such force that he even managed to push Sanji back a few steps.

“Sanji!” Usopp called out, "It's no use, he doesn't understand."

Sanji ignored him. “Where is she?!”

The beast looked at him with his huge eyes. He looked resentful, angry, and confused all at once. It was then when Sanji felt pity for Franky. He had no idea why the curse had affected him the most, but he could sense some sorrow beneath all the unwanted aggression. 

“For transforming into a doctor, you’re not that smart.” A voice called out from the distance. Zoro drew his swords again, immediately recognising who it belonged to. The rest of the group all turned to face in the direction it came from.

Marco stepped out from the shadows. “He ate her. She’s dead.”

Sanji opened his mouth but no words came out. He looked back at Franky and saw it. Resentment and grief. The pain. He was a beast that couldn’t control himself. His heart sank as it finally accepted what he had suspected ever since they saw Franky attack everyone, yet didn’t want to believe it.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it, there's a lot of people that died tonight." There was bitterness within Marco's voice that couldn't go amiss. Sanji looked at him in horror.

"Marco-"

"As for Nami and Vivi,” Marco continued, “You cannot kill the undead."

Everyone stood in suspense as Marco started to pace where he was.

"Where are they?" Sanji breathed out.

"They managed to escape." Marco slowly walked towards the group, building on the anticipation of an attack. "They rescued most of the guests too. There's only a few that remain."

Sanji wanted to breathe a sigh of relief at that but he knew not to lower his guard.

"I really wouldn't worry about them though," Marco said sinisterly. 

"Marco about Ace-"

"Do you really think I want to know?" Marco interrupted angrily. His pain and anger echoed around the room, even causing Franky to whimper.

"I'm sure you know best as who you are now, Sanji. That revenge is one of the most refined dishes." 

"Then take me," Sanji replied, knowing he deserved to be punished.

"I wouldn't want to give you the satisfaction." Marco spat back.

Sanji stilled, realising what he meant. He looked at his husband and before he knew it, Zoro was fighting Marco for his life.

Sanji sprinted across the floor only to slip in blood. He picked himself back up instantly, aware he barely had seconds to do something. Zoro was able to fend Marco off thanks to his three swords and perfect swordsmanship, but his body would fatigue and his movements would become sloppy before Marco’s did.

It was then when Sanji saw it.

The knife he had used on Ace, glinting from Marco's back.

"What's the saying again, Sanji?" Marco called out, "An eye for an eye."

Zoro screamed out in pain. His swords clattered to the floor: his body followed after. Sanji came to a grinding halt: his heart shattering at that sound. 

Only a second after, Marco was tackled to the ground by Franky. He must have broken free, but he was only attacking Marco. It was the element of surprise they needed as Marco dropped the knife and managed to make a narrow escape. Franky continued to chase him out of the grand hall, never letting him out of his sight. 

Zoro was still crying out in pain as blood spread around him.

Sanji sprinted to be by side, calling out to Usopp and Chopper to get anything that'll help. Chopper had to pull Usopp by his teeth to even get him out of his daze, but they both ran off in the direction of the kitchen. With Law dead and Chopper stuck as a dog, Sanji wasn't sure if Zoro would be able to make it through, whatever the damage was.

When he finally reached his husband, blood-soaked through Zoro's shirt as he continued to grunt and scream in unbearable pain, breaking Sanji's heart even more. Zoro had a high pain tolerance, barely breaking a sweat in a fight if he gained a somewhat fatal wound. Yet this had him in agony. He was cradling his face, blood gushing from the left of it. Sanji manoeuvred Zoro's body in hope that gravity would do its job and minimize the blood flow: anything to keep him alive.

  
  


There was a huge gash over Zoro's left eye.

  
  


"I've got you. I've got you." 

Zoro grunted back, unable to speak through the pain.

"Oi, we're going to make it home okay.” Sanji could feel the wetness in his eyes. “You're gonna be fine." 

He checked his husband for any other injuries but he had put up a good fight. Sanji hoped he would continue fighting now his life depended on it.

“Sanji,” Zoro grunted.

“Don’t say anything, idiot..” Sanji tried to keep his voice even but it was no good.

Zoro winced, “Don’t follow him.”

Sanji huffed. Of course, Zoro knew what he wanted to do. “The motherfucker wanted to kill you, and you’re asking me not to chase him when you would do the same?”

“I know. That’s why I’m saying it.” Zoro choked, “I said I would protect you from yourself, cook.” 

Sanji said nothing as he watched his husband shrivel in pain. 

"Don't give in to him." Zoro coughed, spluttering the blood that was dripping into his mouth.

Sanji felt Hannibal's wrath within him, tempting him to give in already. He wanted to skin Marco alive and leave him out on display for everyone to see what would happen if they crossed him or his husband's path. He wanted to feast on his flesh for years to come, savouring the taste of his revenge and making sure anyone that dared challenge either of them would get a taste too. It was only their joint love of Zoro and Will keeping them at their sides instead of chasing Marco down at that moment. 

"What if you die?" Sanji couldn't tell if it was him or Hannibal that asked. 

"I won't betray you like that. I'm never going to betray you again." Will responded in Zoro's voice.

Sanji didn't want to make a promise he couldn't keep. 

“Please,” Zoro begged.

And there it was. Sanji wanted to lash out at the image of Zoro looking so vulnerable, but he couldn’t. He simply nodded his head and cradled his husband instead, relishing in the feel of him in his arms.

“I’m not going to be much good with one eye,” Zoro whispered after a short while.

“You weren’t much good with two eyes.” Sanji joked fondly. He kissed the top of Zoro’s head, praying his husband couldn’t feel the tears dropping into his hair.

“True. I ended up marrying you.”

“Oi.” 

Zoro ignored his husband's complaints. “Can you light a cigarette?”

“What?”

“Wanna... smell...” Zoro mumbled.

Sanji laughed at this. “After all the times you have complained about them, now you’re telling me you like them?”

“Comforting.” It was all he could say as he let out a low grunt, grinding his teeth to try and keep himself together. 

Sanji shook his head but obliged, taking out his pack of cigarettes and golden lighter from his trouser pocket and lighting a cigarette. He inhaled deeply, then exhaled a night's worth of stress in one go.

Zoro shifted, clinging onto Sanji as he did so. Sanji clung back, never wanting to let his husband out of his sight ever again.

They stayed like that in silence, one encompassing the other. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To my best friend,
> 
> Happy Halloween! I hope you enjoy this spooky treat, and I hope you are able to find the easter eggs I left too.
> 
> Love,
> 
> Your best friend.

**_Six Months Later…_ **

Zoro grabbed his three swords from their case, his long, black coat, and his green leather gloves. He threw the coat on first, then proceeded to strap his swords onto his waist and added his gloves for the finishing touch. Zoro checked himself out in the hallway mirror. He shrugged at his reflection. Knowing the fact Sanji loved his ‘hunting criminals’ outfit was enough for his standards. He was now ready to go out into the big, bad world and face whatever or whoever he planned to kill that night. He had already had one idea of who he could hunt down. 

“You can’t kill Gin, Zoro!” Sanji protested.

Zoro grunted. It was as if the cook could read his mind, it was so annoying. He turned around and was greeted by Sanji in his latest black and white, pinstriped suit, holding a plate of onigiri and a cup of black coffee for fuel and refreshment before Zoro entered the night.

“Why not? You eat the rude, don’t you?” Zoro winked, hinting at Hannibal’s life long motto that had been adapted into their own. He took the plate and devoured the onigiri, careful not to drop any crumbs onto their carpet as he didn't want to get kicked to death before going out, and washed it down with the black coffee.

“He might be an asshole sometimes but he is still my friend.” Sanji took the plate back, appreciating nothing was left to waste.

“Yeah right, he sees you more than that…” Zoro pursed his lips, “What about The Bitch That Must Not Be Named?” 

“How many times marimo, I’m not going to eat a woman!” Sanji replied frustratedly, “... Let alone my ex.”

“Women can be rude too though, cook. You’re just being sexist.” Zoro knew that wasn’t the case, the cook was just being a total gentleman about who he chose to eat, but he couldn’t resist ruffling his feathers up a bit so to speak- it's the little things he enjoyed in their relationship. 

“I swear to god I’m going to cook you in a minute, shitty swordsman!” The cook's nostrils were flaring, which was never a good sign.

“Alright, alright, I get it! One lousy criminal coming up.”

Sanji grabbed his lighter and cigarette and lit it up as Zoro finished his coffee. “Someone that has killed a few times before would be nice, but hey, I’m not picky.” 

“Yes you are, shit cook, I promise I’ll be back soon.” Zoro took the recently placed cigarette out of his husband's mouth and pulled him closer to leave a lingering kiss on the man’s lips.

Sanji snatched the cigarette back, "Idiot. I love you too. Be careful out there."

"I think you should be saying that to the poor soul you're gonna eat tonight." Zoro grinned widely. 

"You enjoy this way too much you know..." The cook chuckled nervously.

"I'm just looking out for my cannibalistic husband." Zoro winked. He gave Sanji another quick peck on the cheek, "See you in a bit, curly!"

And with that, Zoro went into their garage, preparing to start his hunt for the evening. 

Despite the jokes, Zoro knew who his target would be tonight. He pulled out a photograph from his coat’s pocket of a pink-haired pimp with a metal faceguard named Spandam, who had made a name for himself back in the 2000s. Zoro had heard from the grapevine that the man had been released from prison a couple of weeks ago and was back to his old dirty tricks. He had killed hundreds of people through his underground network, blackmailed thousands of innocents, and held leverage on all the people who dared work for him- he even used to have something over their late friend Robin. 

Luckily for Zoro, Spandam’s minions weren’t extremely loyal as he imagined and he had managed to track down his most recent hideout through paid informants, or as Spandam would see them as now, a snitch. 

Zoro put the photograph back safely in his coat pocket and got out his car keys. He preferred driving his motorbike yet it wasn’t much use for indiscreetly carrying a dead body on its back. He had learned that the hard way, much to Sanji’s embarrassment. 

Zoro swiftly climbed into his car and promptly pulled out of their garage, heading into what could only be described as an eventful night ahead. He looked through his windscreen towards the full moon and took a deep breath, knowing his counterpart would take control of driving and lead him in the correct direction. 

Ever since Zoro and Sanji had survived that fateful night at Mihawk’s home, things had never been the same. They had managed to escape of course, with Zoro only losing an eye. Franky ran off into the night never to be seen again. Nami, Vivi, Brook, Usopp, and Chopper all got out mostly unharmed, and Marco flew to the other side of the world to escape the memories he had made with Ace. Luffy appeared the most burdened with the evening, despite being unaware of everything that happened. Zoro figured it was the guilt of making every turn that was eating him alive, but he was the glue of the gang still, keeping in contact with everyone and making sure things were relatively normal despite their losses. If it weren’t for Luffy, Zoro reckoned they would have all gone insane by now. And a month after the incident, things finally felt like they were back to normal again. 

But then the full moon happened.

Everyone must have felt it at the same time, Zoro was certain of it. One moment he was himself looking at the cook across from their kitchen table, the next he was Will looking at Hannibal. He had watched the sheer panic crawl onto his husband’s face as they both realized they hadn’t escaped. They were going to be stuck with the curse forever.

Then, Zoro (or maybe it was Will) hatched a plan so they wouldn’t find themselves burdened with the curse every month: they would roll with it instead. Sanji had immediately called him a lunatic, yet the hunger in Hannibal's eyes said otherwise. They went out hunting that very night and caught their first victim, a known criminal to the area that the police had yet to track down. It had felt so easy. Zoro had helped Sanji cut the body up into more manageable chunks with his swords, while Sanji did the rest in their basement. By the time Sanji had prepped, cooked, and eaten the meat, it was sunrise. 

That was five months ago and they hadn’t looked back since.

Zoro felt the car come to a halt, causing him to become aware of his surroundings. He had already reached his destination thanks to Will’s impeccable tracking and hunting skills. Sanji had been right all those months ago back in Mihawk’s mansion: with Zoro’s expertise in martial arts, they made one wild combination. 

Zoro got out of his car and scanned the place. It was an abandoned office building with broken windows near some docks along the riverbank. He didn’t notice any cars nearby, but that didn’t mean the place wouldn’t be covered with Spandam’s minions guarding their boss.

Zoro licked his lips in anticipation, adrenaline already flowing through his body.

It was going to be a fun evening.

He crept around the back of the building, making sure to stick to the shadows. He subtly knocked on the exit to see if anyone was standing against it, then quietly opened the door when he got no response. 

He had seen the plans beforehand and figured all the action would lead him to the top of the building, the tenth floor, so he entered the first stairwell he laid eyes on.

He didn’t meet anyone until he got to the third floor. 

Zoro wasted little time, cutting and slicing down men left, right, and center, while they helplessly fell down, unable to even reach for their weapons. He was brutally efficient and rather enjoyed stretching his muscles after not being able to spar in so long. He didn’t kill the men, just left them unconscious, yet making sure there was no chance they would get in his way again. He carried up through the floors, taking down everyone in his path, grinning as he went. He didn’t even need to bring Wado out of her sheath.

Once Zoro got to the seventh floor, he started to pick up his pace. The word might have gotten to Spandam already in the time he had climbed each level, so he couldn't let the man take the advantage he had gained and escape. He carried on slashing men down, being careful to not overlook any blind spots and cautious enough to not be hit by a stray bullet he might not have seen. 

It wasn’t long until he reached the top building. No alarm had been triggered that he knew of, so he silently opened the door. 

It was then Zoro almost got decapitated. 

Zoro ducked and rolled ínto the room, finding out he needed to defend himself for the first time that night.

“Did you really think it would be easy to kill me?” A voice came from the shadows. It didn’t belong to the person attacking him, so he knew it wasn’t Spandam wielding the sword.

Zoro rolled his eyes. He wasn’t really one for theatrics, that was his husband’s forte, so he grabbed Wado out of her sheath, gave a quick apology to the man he was fighting, and landed a finishing blow. 

He was on a rampage, taking out the men before they could even defend themselves and when that wasn’t enough, he cut them just so they would bleed out slowly. It wouldn’t be his fault if they couldn’t make it to the hospital in time. He finally took out the last man and turned to face Spandam, standing defenseless in the corner. 

“You were saying?” Zoro replied breezily. 

Before the pathetic man could even think about making a run towards the exit, Zoro sprinted across the floor and stabbed him in the gut. 

“This is for Robin,” He spat.

Spandam looked at him in shock. Zoro smiled down. 

It really was all too easy...

A smile spread across Spandam’s face and Zoro wasn’t fast enough to pull away.

The pink-haired man pulled out a swiss army knife and mustered all his strength to stab Zoro in return, right in the middle of his thigh. Zoro gritted his teeth through the pain to stop him from crying out and retaliated once more, making sure the creep was definitely dead.

He let Spandam’s body fall to the ground and inspected his own wound, ignored the voice inside of him telling him to not touch the knife, and pulled it out with a grunt.

Blood gushed out more heavily than anticipated.

_ Idiot. _

Zoro ignored the voice that definitely belonged to Will and looked around for anything he could use as a make-shift bandage. He looked at the fallen bodies around him and ripped a shirt off one of the bodies, slicing it into the size he needed. He then tightly wrapped the material around his leg, squeezing it until he cried out in pain again, and tied it into a knot. 

He was as good as dead when Sanji got a glimpse of the wound anyway. 

Zoro heaved Spandam’s body onto his back and carried him towards the elevators, praying they still worked as he pushed the button, so the ride down wouldn’t be agonizingly painful. Blood started to soak his bandage, yet at a much slower rate than it would without it.

An elevator chimed and a set of doors opened. He hadn’t run out of luck just yet.

Zoro hurriedly made his way back to the car and dumped the body in the boot. The limps weren’t being cooperative so he sighed in frustration and hacked off an arm and a leg to be able to close the door properly. Will called him an idiot again after blood got over the boot’s carpet, but he ignored him and got into the driver seat before any more blood started to seep through his bandage.

Zoro let Will take over his body once more on the drive home, trying not to grunt every time he had to push his leg against the accelerator. While it was only a swiss army knife, Spandam had made it a very deep cut, that was for sure. 

He dialed his husband's number to make sure the cook was getting everything ready and the garage door would be open for his return. He wasn't about to expose them by carrying a dead body in front of all their neighbors to see. 

"Cook? I'm nearly home." Zoro said once Sanji picked up. Silence filled the other end of the line and the man panicked, worried he had called the wrong number.

"What's wrong, marimo?" Sanji's voice finally tailed out, sounding concerned.

Shit, how could he even tell?!

"I've said four words and you think there's something wrong." 

"And am I ever wrong about these things, idiot?" Sanji bit back.

"No…" Zoro replied with a sigh. "Will and Hannibal can read each other's minds can't they?"

"Don't be ridiculous, marimo. Your breathing is just shallow."

Oh.

"Yeah I got hit but nothing the doctor can't fix." Sanji was right, Zoro enjoyed their new way of life too much.

"For the last time, he's a psychiatrist I don't think-" Zoro accidentally hit the end call button and cut his husband off.

Oh well, he was minutes away from their home now.

Sanji was standing inside their driveway when he finally made it back.

"You getting hurt had better be worth it, you know," Sanji muttered as he jumped out of the car. 

"Don't worry, it was." Zoro grinned.

They both pulled the garage door down before opening the car's boot.

"Oh my god, how did you find him?!" Sanji gasped as soon as he recognized the pink hair and metal faceguard. 

Zoro was about to brag how when his legs buckled. Sanji was there in a flash, catching Zoro before he could bang his head against the concrete floor. 

"Zoro? Zoro, stay with me…"

Everything went black.

***

Zoro woke up in his bed. 

He looked around, trying to remember how he got there when his eyes landed on his leg. He touched the clean bandage wrapped around it, more neatly than he could have ever managed to make it, and memories of the night came flooding back to him. 

"Oh, the sleepyhead is finally awake." Sanji came into the bedroom carrying a tray of something that smelt delicious. Zoro's stomach rumbled in agreement. 

"I hope that isn't who I think it is," Zoro grunted.

"It's the next day, idiot," Sanji rolled his eyes and placed the tray onto Zoro's lap, "Chicken stew."

Zoro's mouth started watering before he even managed to put the spoon in his mouth. He let out a moan as the flavors hit his tongue, aware the cook appreciated his honest opinion.

The words his husband said caught up to him, "Wait, the next day? How long was I out for?"

"12 hours more or less," Sanji shrugged, pulling out a cigarette, "At least I didn't have to put up with you whining as I sowed your leg up." 

Zoro ignored his husband's retort, "Thanks for that by the way." 

Silence filled the room as Sanji smoked his cigarette and Zoro continued to eat his food. He knew the cook would have been able to fix his leg without needing to visit the hospital, or worse, Chopper. 

"She would have appreciated what you did last night you know," Sanji spoke after the long silence.

Zoro looked up at his husband, "Yeah. I hope she watched the show."

"Hopefully no one else did either."

"Relax, it's not like people won't be happy that man has gone… Did he taste okay?"

Sanji shook his head, " It was quite bland, to be honest. I didn't think there would be enough seasoning to improve it."

Zoro grinned, "He was a shitty human being, what did you expect?"

Sanji laughed at that.

Zoro finished up his meal and placed the tray to the side of him, "Sorry you had to do the rest on your own though."

Sanji shook his head with indifference, "I think I've gotten the hang of it by now. I put the rest of him in the freezer, it should last the next few full moons at least." 

"Now," Zoro dreaded his husband's tone as he changed the topic, "how are you feeling?"

"Better. Thanks, cook."

"No concussion?" 

"Can I get concussions from a stab wound in my leg?"

"You lost a lot of blood, idiot!" Sanji kicked Zoro's uninjured leg, "Plus it's always better to check."

"Well, you still look hot as fire to me."

Sanji couldn't help but smile, "The correct saying is hot as hell, mosshead."

"... I knew that." Zoro pouted.

Sanji laughed and went to take the tray back down into the kitchen, but Zoro caught his arm on the way out.

"Stay." Zoro sounded more vulnerable than he intended, "Please."

Sanji leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, "Anything for you, my murder husband." 

Sanji delicately placed the tray on the bedside table and climbed into bed with his husband. Zoro rested his forehead against the all too familiar chest of the cook and let out a contented sigh.

He couldn't hate their newly found way of life even if he tried. 

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday!!!!!
> 
> I'm sure you could guess I had a fanfic lined up for you since it's become quite the tradition for your birthday, but I hope the plot surprised you enough! I wanted to combine three of your favourite things and hopefully, I succeeded! It's the crossover you deserve! Thank you for being such a wonderful human being, I know this year has been incredibly tough but I hope this can bring you some joy (along with a lot of heart-wrenching pain! <3). You deserve a lot of good things in your life and I hope they start to come your way soon: you will always have zosan by your side though.
> 
> All my love,
> 
> Your Sanji
> 
> fanart credit: https://www.instagram.com/chrisfroot/


End file.
